1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand apparatus in a wireless LAN adapter, and more particularly, to a stand apparatus having a stand protruding from and retracted into the wireless LAN adapter.
2. Description of The Related Art
Generally, a local area network(LAN) enables a plurality of individual and independent computers to communicate with each other within a limited area. The LAN allows the computers to share information data with each other using communication channels.
If a wire LAN is used in the individual or portable computer, a PCMCIA card is needed to be inserted into the computer, and then application or drive software is installed in the computer in order to connect the computer to the LAN.
If a wireless LAN is used in the individual or portable computer, a wireless LAN adapter 10 is disposed adjacent to the computer, such as a notebook PC, as shown in FIG. 1, and then the computer is connected to the LAN after the software is installed in the computer.
When wireless LAN adapter 10 operates, wireless LAN adapter 10 should be placed upright on a table or ground in order to increase the amount and the transmission rate of processed data during a unit period of time in the computer. However, an additional and individual separate stand is needed to support wireless LAN adapter 10 upright because of the thin structure of wireless LAN adapter 10 in length and width. Therefore, it is very disadvantageous for a user when the volume of both wireless LAN adapter 10 and the additional stand increases, and when wireless LAN adapter 10 is frequently fallen down and then broken down.
It is an object according to the present invention to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter able to be placed upright on a table or ground adjacent to a computer.
It is another object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter able to be mounted with a stand without increasing the adapter in both size and volume.
It is still an object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter having a stand protruding from the adapter in order to support the adapter upright and being retracted into the adapter without being projected from the adapter.
It is yet an object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter having a stand rotatably mounted in the adapter.
It is still yet another object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter having a receptacle accommodating a stand rotatably coupled to the adapter.
It is also an object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter able to prevent the adapter from being fallen down from an upright position.
It is further object to provide an improved wireless LAN adapter able to remove any additional and individual separate stand apparatus from the adapter.
These and other objects may be achieved by providing an improved wireless LAN adapter having a main body having side extensions disposed in a lower portion of the main body and a base plate coupled between the side extensions, a receptacle defined by the base plate and the side extensions, a stand rotatably disposed within the receptacle, a support unit formed on the base plate, and a holding unit coupled to the stand and supported by the support unit. The stand is fixedly connected to the holding unit while the holding unit is rotatably coupled to the support unit and the main body.
A plurality of protrusions formed on the holding unit are engaged with respective grooves formed on support unit in order to maintain a rotation angle of the holding unit and the stand with respect to the support unit of the main body.
An elastic member elastically coupling the holding unit to the main body is disposed between the holding unit and the main body. The elastic member does not rotate about the adapter and the support unit while the stand and the holding unit rotates about the elastic member, support unit, and the adapter.